The Planning Commussion will review a Comprehensive Development Plan amendment and major subdivision with site plan approval for the property at 321 Hillside Road, location of the former University of Delaware John Dickinson Residence Hall Complex. The plan proposes demolition of the existing dormitories on the site, subdivision of the parcel into two lots, one of which will be maintained as open space, and construction of ten 4-story buildings containing 189 apartment units. (Action) [Revised April 26, 2019.] The developers are asking for changes to height requirements, parking (189 spaces versus the 378 required) and density.

NCC Budget Community Town Hall

New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer is hosting a Community Town Hall on Monday, May 6 at 6:30 p.m. at the Newark Free Library.

County Executive Matthew Meyer will summarize his proposed Fiscal Year 2020 Budget.

In addition, this will be an opportunity for residents to learn and ask questions about the proposed changes to credits municipalities receive from New Castle County for services municipalities provide.

If adopted during the NCC 2020 budget, these changes will increase County taxes for those living in municipalities in NCC–including Newark.

Main Street Updates and Downtown Parking

There was a special City Council meeting on Monday, April 29th at which City staff presented a variety of parking suggestions. The suggestions included adding temporary parking and to install multi-space parking kiosks among other recommendations.

The expansion of Lot 1 (Main St Galleria) will be happening soon–before the most critical need between October 2019 to June 2020 when construction will be underway between Chapel Street and South College Avenue.

The University of Delaware has a Nights and Weekends monthly parking pass available to the public for certain lots after 5pm on weekdays and on the weekends. UD also has a construction worker pass to help keep those vehicles out of the downtown public lots. I also made a request of UD to allow nights and weekends public parking in their Academy Street lot.

The City presented a plan to introduce multi-space kiosk style parking. The idea is to replace the single-space meters in Lot 6 (Barnes and Noble) and use them for any temporary parking that is added. After that, the meters on Main St and the other City lots would be replaced as well. The response from Council was positive to move to multi-space kiosk meters. Staff will be coming back to Council with a proposal to purchase before June. The benefits of the multi-space kiosks include allowing the city to use dynamic rates (e.g. different parking zones, varying rates per time of day, etc.), improved data collection about downtown parking, less ongoing maintenance and replacement costs from our current meters, improved functionality and customer experience (e.g. customers could pay by phone app or even pay to extend their time at any kiosk).

The current single-use meters have not been a success. They have higher maintenance and replacement costs than anticipated and will need to be replaced in the next few years.

The Green Mansion hotel project that was recently approved by Council (for which I did not support the project’s Special Use permit to build a hotel) is going to acerbate the parking shortage during the height of construction.

Stay tuned for more news on the parking front. Staff will be coming back at the May 13th Council meeting with additional information.

Newark Futures Workshop

Strengthening Newark’s Nonprofit Sector

Wednesday, May 22, 2019
Star Tower

Hosted by the UD Community Engagement Initiative, Institute for Public Administration, and The Newark Partnership, the workshop will provide a platform for nonprofits in Newark to come together and discuss assets, challenges, resources. Participants will have the opportunity to weigh in on how The Newark Partnership can best work to strengthen the nonprofit sector in Newark.

The workshop will immediately follow the celebratory reception for The Newark Partnership (TNP). Please indicate on your workshop RSVP that you will join TNP’s governing board and affiliates as we celebrate its new beginning with the local community.

Launch will occur from 5:30-6:30 p.m. with the workshop to immediately follow at 6:30 p.m.

Upcoming Meetings

New Castle County residents are invited to join County Executive Matt Meyer and county leaders for a series of Community Town Halls this spring. During each Town Hall, County Executive Meyer will summarize his proposed Fiscal Year 2020 Budget and engage with residents about the local services they receive.

The City of Newark Parks and Recreation Department wants to see how many families and friends enjoy our parks, in celebration of the National Park Trust 9th Annual Kids to Parks Day! Hashtag your photo #NewarkParksRec for a chance to win a Parks and Recreation gift card. We will accept entries until 11:59 PM on Sunday May 19. We will announce our winner (and share our top 5 favorite pictures) via social media, on Monday May 20. Happy Adventuring!

Join the City of Newark at 1:00 PM, at Memorial Hall on the University of DE Green, for a ceremony honoring veterans of wars from all branches of the military. Following the ceremony, the Memorial Day Parade will begin at 2:00 PM.

UDon’t Need It?

UDon’t Need It is back for its 12th year. This environment-friendly program helps reduce waste and redirects reusable items to the community, while also saving the City local landfill fees.

Anyone is able to drop off goods. Students must present a valid student ID card and landlords must show proof of owning a Newark rental property. Residents can pay $10 per regular pick-up truck or car load of refuse, and $20 for truck or trailer.

Plus, shop for goods on two $10 SALE DAYS ON MAY 31 AND JUNE 6!

For a list of dates and times, and what items are accepted head over to the UDNI page:newarkde.gov/UDNI

City of Newark City Council Election

Don’t forget to vote in the City Council election on April 9th. Voters in District 3 have the opportunity to vote for the office of Mayor. The polls are open from 7 am – 8 pm and the District 3 polling location is: Aetna Fire Station #7, 7 Thorn Lane.

The following candidates have filed for the office of Mayor for a three-year term:

Christina School District Referendum

There is Christina School District referendum planned for April 30th. Polls are open from 7 am – 8 pm and qualified voters can vote at any of these locations.

As a resident, I plan on supporting the referendum because I think that residents must support our public school system. Not only do I believe that we have a moral responsibility to make sure that all students have access to the best education possible, but the students coming out of our public schools are our future employees, entrepreneurs, professionals, parents and voters. It is in our best interest to make sure that all students receive a topnotch education. I also think it is critical for the future of Newark that we invest in our public schools.

I ask that if you aren’t sure whether you will be supporting the referendum or not, please take a look at the Christina School District’s referendum website. There you will find info on what this referendum will be funding and why the funding is needed. There’s also a tax calculator and info on tax relief for seniors to be found on the referendum website.

Public Workshop: White Clay Creek Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge

WHERE: Council Chambers
WHEN: Tuesday, April 16, 2019 at 4 PM – 7 PM

DelDOT, in conjunction with the City of Newark, invites the public to review and comment on the proposed White Clay Creek bicycle and pedestrian bridge located parallel to the west side of the existing Paper Mill Road bridge.

R 896 (S. College Ave.) and Chestnut Hill Road.

After a number of serious crashes, Representative Kowalko, Senator Stephanie Hanson, and other area legislators raised questions about the safety of the intersection of SR 896 (S. College Ave.) and Chestnut Hill Road. DelDOT subsequently performed a study of the intersection and has suggested some modifications, including improving roadway lighting and modifying the eastbound-westbound signal phasing such that conflicting movements operate sequentially as opposed to simultaneously. DelDOT has established funding within the upcoming FY20 budget.

Main St. Construction Update

As you probably have already discovered, DelDOT’s work on Main St. began this week. DelDOT also debuted its website where you can find out just where the work is taking place on any given day plus other info.

Upcoming Community Events

Make a difference in the Newark Community by joining us to clean up local parks and roadways. This event is in conjunction with the Annual Christina River Watershed Clean Up. Individuals and volunteer groups are welcome. Trash bags and a snack will be provided. Volunteers who pre-register will get a free t-shirt!

It has been over 130 years since J. Sterling Morton founded Arbor Day. His simple idea of setting aside a special day for tree planting is now more important than ever. Join Newark Parks and Recreation for its Arbor Day Celebration at West Park Elementary School on Monday April 29th, at 10:00 AM.

Other Opportunities to Get Involved

Hope Dining Room has a simple mission, feed a midday hot meal, with dignity, to those in need in the Greater Newark, DE area. With dignity, means anyone can come in , sit down at a table , and receive a hot meal, no questions asked.

Dear Neighbor,

Here is a quick City Council update.

City Manager Update

City Council voted to approve the employment contract for Tom Coleman at
the March 11th City Council meeting. Mr. Coleman is no longer Acting
City Manager, but can now be called City Manager Coleman. I look forward
to working with Mr. Coleman to serve the residents of Newark.

March 25th City Council Meeting

The agenda for the March 25th City Council agenda includes the following development projects.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please note, if you support or oppose a
certain project, send your comments to all City Council members or make
sure to attend the public hearing and share your comments in person.
You may also send your comments to the City Secretary and they will be
shared with City Council and added to the public hearing record. rbensley@newark.de.us

Other Development Projects of Interest

1089 Elkton Road
– Annexation and rezoning of 7.40 acres to connect the parcel to the
existing Newark Charter School campus and have both properties in the
same jurisdiction.

Green Mansion Development Project

The Green Mansion project will be presented to the Planning Commission
tonight, Tuesday, March 5th at 7pm. If you are unable to attend, there
will be another opportunity to share any comments you may have when the
project is presented to City Council.

Here’s a link to tonight’s Planning Commission agenda which includes a link to the project documents.

2019 City Election Candidate Forum Hosted by the League of Women Voters – March 19, 2019, 6:00 PM @ Newark Senior Center. The League of Women Voters will be hosting a candidate forum for 2019 City elections. Candidates from the contested races of Mayor, Council District 1 and Council District 2 will be invited to participate. For additional information, please contact Carole Walsh at the League of Women Voters.More Details

Dear Neighbor,

Here is my latest City Council update.

Election Workers Needed for City Election

There’s a City of Newark election on Tuesday, April 9th for Mayor and Council Districts 1 and 2. The City is looking for about 50 City residents who would like to work at the polling places. Workers must be available from 6:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on the day of the election as well as for a training scheduled from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 14. Payment ranges from $140 to $175 for workers depending on the role to which they are assigned. Lunch is also provided. You must reside within the City limits to able to work at the polls for this election.

For more information, please contact the City Secretary’s Office at 302-366-7000 or citysecretary@newark.de.us.

Thank you to all who serve our community as poll workers!

Upcoming Meetings

The next City Council meeting is scheduled for Monday, February 25th at 7 pm.

There’s a presentation on the Newark Partnership planned, a number of reappointments to the City’s Board of Commissions, and a few contracts and bids to vote on.

In addition, there’s a proposal for a special use permit for an accessory used car lot on the lot next to the Shell Station on the corner of W Chestnut Hill Rd and 896. Here’s a link to the project info: https://newarkde.gov/DocumentCenter/View/11768/10A

Please get back to me if you have any questions or comments on this or any other any agenda items.

Stormwater Utility

Don’t forget you will be starting to see increases in your stormwater utility fees this month. With the Rodney and various other infrastructure projects passing via referendum last year, there was a corresponding increase to the stormwater utility fee passed with this year’s budget. If you have any questions about the stormwater utility increase and your bill, please contact Public Works at 366-7000.

Food Lion Grand Opening

If you haven’t yet heard the news, the Food Lion will soon be opening in the Fairfield Shopping Center. The ribbon cutting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 27th at 7:45 am and the store will open at 8 am. Good news for everyone looking for a little variety in food stores in the city.

As always, please get in touch with any questions, comments or feedback.